Diana Darke

Writer and historian Diana Darke looks at the complex cultural legacy of the Ottoman Empire and the profound impact it has had on Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Darke says western perceptions of Ottoman rule as oppressive and destructive and of its culture as exotic and incomprehensible are distorted. Darke, who has spent a lifetime living in former Ottoman provinces, describes a vibrant and sophisticated civilization that embraced the arts and sciences and welcomed all ethnicities and religions. And she looks at the achievements of a 600-year empire including its scientific innovations, its commerce and trade, and its literary and musical traditions.

Darke is author of Stealing from the Saracens: How Islamic Architecture Shaped Europe, The Merchant of Syria, My House in Damascus and The Last Sanctuary in Aleppo.